Page:The Heimskringla; or, Chronicle of the Kings of Norway Vol 1.djvu/177

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KINGS OF NORWAY.
163

a country in which they were in plenty." They now occupied themselves in hewing timber for loading the vessel, and collecting grapes with which they filled the ship's boat. Leif called the country Vinland. They sailed in spring, and returned to Greenland.

Leif's brother, Thorwald, set out, in the year 1002, to Yinland in Leif's vessel, and came to his booths or houses, and wintered there. In spring Thorwald sent a party in the boat to explore the coast to the south. They found the country beautiful, well wooded, with but little space between the woods and the sea, and long stretches of white sand, and also many islands and shoals; and on one island found a corn barn, but no other traces of people. They returned in autumn to Leif's booths. Next summer Thorwald sailed with the large vessel, first eastward, then northward, past a headland opposite to another headland, and forming a bay. They called the first headland Kialarness (Keel Ness). They then sailed into the nearest fiord, to a headland covered with wood. Thorwald went on shore, and was so pleased that he said "he should like to stay there." On going on board they observed three hillocks on the sandy shore. They went up to them, and found they were three canoes, with three Skrælingers under each. They killed eight of them, and one made his escape in his canoe. A great number afterwards came in skin-canoes and attacked them. They were repulsed; but Thorwald was wounded by an arrow and died, and according to his directions was buried at the promontory where he had expressed his wish to stay, or take up his abode, with a cross at the head and one at the foot of his grave; and the place was called Crossness. His companions returned to Leif's booths, wintered there, and in spring sailed to Greenland.

Thorstein, Eric's third son, set out in the same ship, with his wife Gudrid, and a crew of twenty-five